A Durga temple inside a cotton mill in Bangladesh has been vandalised and two people detained for questioning, in one of two separate incidents that have renewed concern about the safety of Hindu minorities. Police say they are investigating both cases.

The temple, inside the Laxminarayan Cotton Mill in the Siddhirganj area of Narayanganj, was vandalised on Tuesday evening, according to local media reports. The Knit Concern Group, a garment manufacturing company, has been accused of blocking access to the temple and carrying out the vandalism. Police took the group's director, Monir Hossain Mollah, and its security in-charge, Ibrahim, into custody on Wednesday evening for questioning.

Land dispute at the centre of the temple case

Narayanganj Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime) Tarek Al Mehedi confirmed the detentions and said police were looking at land-related complications between the temple committee and the company. Tarun Lal Begi, general secretary of the temple committee, said the temple gate's lock was removed on Tuesday evening and replaced to stop people entering, and alleged that decorations and the pandal inside were vandalised.

Body of fish farmer found in Jashore river

In a separate case, the body of 65-year-old Ranjan Mondal, a fish farm owner, was found on 7 November near Helarghat in the Mashiahati area of Monirampur upazila in Jashore district, stuffed in a sack and dumped in the Mukteshwari River. His wife, Beauty Mondal, said he left home on the afternoon of 6 November and did not return. She said there were injury marks on his neck and body.

Assistant Superintendent of Police of Monirampur, Imdadul Haque, said the body was recovered after police received information and was sent to Jashore 250-bed General Hospital for autopsy.